The Toronto Blue Jays earned the chance to continue their season with a dramatic win in the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners.
Now, in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team will see a pair of homegrown superstars take the field for what could be the final time.
“For nearly a decade they’ve been in lockstep, these past seven years in Toronto, (Bo) Bichette making his MLB debut 94 days after (Vladimir) Guerrero (Jr.),” Rosie DiManno wrote for the Toronto Star. “Their first World Series together could be the last time they wear the same uniform. Which makes it all the more affecting.”
While Guerrero signed a $500 million extension earlier this year to remain with the Blue Jays for the foreseeable future, Bichette is headed toward free agency this winter with no clear indication about whether he would like to return to the team or if the team has concrete plans to make him a new contract offer.
Bichette has missed the Blue Jays’ playoff run so far after ending the regular season with a knee injury, but he has said that he is healthy enough to return in some role for the World Series and that will give Guerrero a final chance to play alongside his long-time teammate.
With Bichette’s potential free agent exit looming, Guerrero summarized his feelings for the shortstop with a clear, three-word message:
“He’s my brother,” Guerrero said, per DiManno. “We’ve got 10 years playing together, a lot of ups and downs. A lot of crying, a lot of happiness.”
The pair will have at least four more games together as they look to dethrone the reigning champion Dodgers. Then, it’s possible that Bichette negotiates a return to the Blue Jays to continue playing alongside Guerrero for years to come.
But with Andres Gimenez on Toronto’s roster and Bichette poised to be one of the most coveted infielders on the market this winter, he could find a better deal elsewhere. As a result, the Blue Jays’ franchise pair might only have a few games left together.
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